[A/N: Before I begin, I'd like to tell you some words of wisdom: it is true that even in reality, tons of bad things are happening all over our planet Earth, the worst kinds of pollutants being hatred, prejudice and even terrorism. But, life as we know it doesn't have to end like this, for it's up to all of us to help stamp out said pollutants. It's not an easy path, but I believe it'll be worth the effort. Anyway, I've taken the liberty to writing this short fic to reflect upon that fact, and am making this part of the Game-Jumping Adventures series timeline whilst taking place roughly 3 days after the ending for my other story (also part of my revamped Diamond City Chronicles series timeline, as seen on FanFiction.net), "Return of the Five Dastardly Bombers!"...at the very least from young 9-Volt's perspective. After all he'd been through, it's not surprising even a brave and smart young boy like him would get nightmares, such as what you're about to see.

As a side note, before I forget, I added Pit and Phosphora to the GJA series continuity, whereas the DCC's timeline originally did not have them both.]

-What a horrible night to have a nightmare-

[Interlude BGM: Intestines (Contra: Shattered Soldier)]

"Well, well, well...who do we have here?"

"Just the same little kid whose soul we once took to ensure Lord Red Falcon's invincibility."

"And yet the insipid Contras took it back along with everybody else's and destroyed our supreme leader, didn't they, Crasher and Blaster?"

"Yeah yeah, but look on the bright side, Sniper: Lord Red Falcon's back in full power, and so are we! I'm just itchin' for some head-choppin'!"

"Axe's right, kiddo. Your kind may have won World War III, or what was known the whole time as the second half of the 5-year Alien Wars, but even that will not stop us from coming back again, and again! You wanna know why? Because this planet invited Lord Red Falcon; your own kind called him forth with praise and tribute! In such a short time, we now hold the power to kill those who ruined our plans for the complete destruction of mankind on Earth! You are the only human left who doesn't want to kill people, for we've already killed your family, your friends, your so-called guardian angels - and most of all, the six accursed Contras!"

"Especially that stupid traitor, Arctic Bomber! But I'll admit: I too am surprised to learn these human 'terrorist organizations' despise peace as much as we do these days, mainly 'cause they got the same motives like us: force the do-gooders to submit...and then waste 'em anyways when they least expect it! Either they assimilate, or else they will die! Your dad was a coward 5 years ago when we killed him for refusing to surrender in his 'line of duty', just like you are now!"

"In the meantime, my volcanic hellfire has already consumed your precious Diamond City. What hope do you have for survival when we already rule this pitiful mudball called Earth with an iron fist? The Red Falcon Empire will haunt you to the day you die!"

The young human boy, stranded and alone in the hellish ruins of what was known as Diamond City, CA, had been cornered by the five hateful deathmongers who followed the interdimensional devil to the bitter end. Two of them were evil humanoids from space, rumored to be the "last pieces" of the Evil One from the Moon, or "Zeromus." The next three, each of whom were robots with the powers of death and destruction, called themselves the Hate Bombers. Sniper Bomber, the self-proclaimed King of the Snipers, was their leader, six feet and two inches tall (118 cm) and weighing 256 lbs. (116 kg) whose pin-point accuracy was far beyond the reaches of a generic assassin. Axe Bomber, the Heavy-Duty Chopper, was larger than his leader at 512 lbs. (232 kg), standing just three inches taller, but loyal to a fault so he could kill as much as he liked. And finally, Volcano Bomber, the Hellfire Fiend, was only an inch shorter than Sniper Bomber, but weighed 321 lbs. (145 kg), his volcanic powers a mere force to be reckoned with.

Left without support from his friends and family, and his guardian angels ever since said deathmongers killed them with no shame or remorse whatsoever, the boy had no choice but to meet his fate right in front of him. Thus did the aforementioned devil appear before the child in the form of an alien monster from space, a mere hybrid of a skeletal dragon and a chimera with blood-red eyes and sharp fangs on his ugly face. Behind him and his loyal deathmongers were five deadly androids, each one resembling a Bomberman with a different appearance and personality. The first in line was a dark wizard, clothed in a black robe that covered his black armor. Standing at 5 feet and 11 inches tall (180 cm), and weighing about 174 lbs. (79 kg) he was programmed with the strongest Black Magic spells. He called himself Warlock Bomber, the Black Wizard of Destruction, and leader of the Chaotic Bombers.

Next in line was a brutish, silver-armored Bomberman who was large like the one-eyed android whose interchangeable axe hands were deadly to the touch, only he had two eyes on his visor. However, he was modeled after an infamous boxer known around the surface of Earth for his illegal "headbutt" attacks. This Bomberman possessed a pair of red boxing gloves, and was programmed with all the techniques of a heavyweight boxer, including that one bad boxer's headbutt. Thus his creator, a purple-skinned snake humanoid, coined him Boxer Bomber, the Punching Ring King. He stood at 6 feet and 3 inches high (191 cm), weighing 298 lbs. (135 kg), thus making him the tallest of the group.

Thirdly, a female Bomber walked up to the Earth child. Based upon the Sirens from Greek mythology, this Bomber-girl bore a human-like appearance, clad in a long, flowing white dress in addition to her helmet and a pair of high heels matching the color. In the end, her creator simply named her Siren Bomber, the Singing Beauty, and made her a little taller than Arctic Bomber at 5 feet and 8 inches (173 cm), weighing at 110 lbs. (50 kg). Unlike his first two creations, he gave her the ability to use spherical bombs in addition to her alluring powers. Overall, he liked the idea of creating a Bomber-girl who's beautiful on the outside, but mean-spirited on the inside. Bottom line, she claimed to represent the Sirens with the ability to do more than just lure oncoming sailors to a watery grave. She also possessed the power of a succubus, the power to play on her male victims' fantasies firstly by impersonating their loved ones, and then crushing them to absorb their souls unto herself. The little boy could only gasp in fright, recalling the one time she impersonated his mother in a heartless manner to harm him both physically and mentally, thus making her the second-deadliest Chaotic Bomber next to Warlock Bomber.

Fourth in line, another male Bomber approached, standing at 6 feet tall (183 cm), but a lot thinner and agile as opposed to Axe Bomber at about 220 lbs. (100 kg). Clad in a violet armor and helmet, the creation was given normal hands that could transform into machine gun arms (in which he could shoot armor-piercing bullets) and vice versa. He was named Trigger Bomber, the Trigger-Happy Maniac, with an extra ability to use fragmentation and "potato masher" grenades alike, instead of the typical cartoon bombs that Siren Bomber possessed.

Last but not least was another female Bomber who, instead of bearing a human-like appearance, resembled an insectoid. Her purple-skinned creator thought about certain kinds of insects that were mostly hated by mankind, such as bees, wasps, spiders, and even mosquitoes. He paid a visit to the library and "checked out" another book, this time on insects that served as pests to humanity on the surface world. He looked over the pages and found out that mosquitoes tend to be among the worst kinds of pests, since they can suck blood from living beings. In addition to such, some of them transmit extremely harmful human and livestock diseases, such as malaria. The crazed creator liked the idea, and built the insectoid Bomber-girl herself. Her attire would consist of a brown short dress with wings on her back, as well as a helmet and a pair of boots. She stood at 5 feet tall (152 cm), weighed 97 pounds (44 kg), and possessed the ability to summon all kinds of insects to assist her. She could also release a swarm of mosquitoes through the use of her spherical "Mosquito Bombs." Mosquito Bomber, the Insectoid Queen, was her name.

Though the snake humanoid, their creator known as Purple Basilisk, was banished to the underworld sometime before the true end of the Alien Wars, they stood tall, resurrected along with Crasher, Blaster and the Hate Bombers, by Red Falcon, the one and only interdimensional devil who was about to speak his word and seal the pact once and for all: the ultimate end of humanity and Bomber-kind by complete genocide. Only the small human child remained as the survivor of what appeared to be the worst global-scale assault since the Alien Wars.

"Ahhh, so the Earth child still lives," said Red Falcon, his monstrous voice sending chills down even the bravest warrior's spine. "How droll...but no matter. Freedom is always sacrificed to faith, and it was by your desires that you humans prosper, the faith of which has ruled you. Considering that, can you really call me evil?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" shouted the human child. "No matter how complicated you make it, a bad thing's still a bad thing!"

"Somehow I knew you'd say that as a response. Anyway, like my loyal Hate Bombers said, I was called here by your kind who wished to pay me tribute by slaughtering the 'civilized ones' you live with. They were sick to death of what Earth had become; therefore I'm here because they need me. Hah! Fools! They wanted ultimate power, and I gave it to them...by turning them into all sorts of demonic soldiers much like my brethren. Look how they follow orders without question, because I know deep down that humans love deception, death and destruction!"

"Oh, but it is! All I had to do was nurture it in order to bring back my desire to conquer Earth. Mankind...a mere cesspit of hatred and lies. Even in death, my legacy of war alone serves as a magnet to attract all the worst kinds of your people into my service: to rebuild my empire, to resurrect my earthly body, to kill all who dare oppose me. In order for my domination and terror to be complete, you must die, just like your friends and family, your insignificant 'guardian angels', and especially the insufferable Contras. It's been nice seeing you one last time...9-Volt. Siren Bomber, feel free to do the dirty deed."

"Heh heh heh, it'll be my pleasure," the villainess in her white dress stated coldly, proceeding to impersonate 9-Volt's own mother one last time before absorbing his soul for herself, gripping him by the shoulders to prevent him from evading death's door as she slowly transformed into the mythical beast Scylla, known to have four eyes, six long necks equipped with grisly heads, each bearing three rows of sharp teeth. Her body also consisted of twelve tentacle-like legs and a cat's tail while four to six dog-heads ringed her waist.

9-Volt opened his mouth and screamed, "No, no, no...no no no no no...NOOOOOOOOOO!!"

[End BGM]

--------------------

The first thing he saw upon waking up from his unpeaceful dream - nay, more like a nightmare - was a blonde-haired figure standing next to his bed in a nightgown that resembled an angel white dress. Outside his bedroom were three other figures: a brunette with a red shirt underneath her green apron, a redhead wearing her color-matching nightgown, and a teenaged angel boy in a white toga.

"9-Volt, it's okay! It's only a bad dream, a nightmare! 9-Volt!"

"AAAAHH!" A few seconds after struggling, 9-Volt realized something was different now as the voice who spoke to him was decidedly female, but not the black-hearted Siren Bomber this time. No longer was he told that his loved ones' souls were absorbed for selfish purposes, nor that Red Falcon and his personal army of deathmongers were revived by generic war-loving terrorists to kill the heroic Contras. This voice, in reality, was sweeter, soothing, and to top it all, good-hearted. "Phosphora?...Is that really you?" Wiping the tears from his eyes, the boy could see very clearly that it's Phosphora, the Lightning Flash of Skyworld - and Pit's girlfriend.

[Comfort BGM: Rydia (Final Fantasy IV)]

"Mm-hmm. It's only your guardian angel. There there, it's gonna be alright. I've got you." The teen girl, looking to be 16 or 17 when converted from the human body as Skyworld's historians theorized, sat on the bed and held 9-Volt closer to herself, cuddling him in her warm, caring arms. "Shhh, it's okay. You're safe with me now. Look, there's your mom outside your room with Mona and Pit, and your best friend Phoebe's sound asleep next door and looked after by her king dad of Video Game Dream. We're at your house in Diamond City, not Red Falcon's demonic realm of death or whatever he insists on calling it."

"But...but what he and his evil minions said to me..." 9-Volt said in between his sobbing, "in my dreams for the past three nights...ever since they put a death spell on me...before our Contra pals defeated them for good..."

"About all humans secretly loving deception, death and destruction? Pshhh! He's nothing more than a prisoner of his own twisted delusions, just like every other terrorist organization bent on destroying humanity all over Earth for hypocritical reasons, while showing the world their power by killing innocent people through an act of cowardice. That makes even me sick to my stomach, but as for Siren Bomber? Well, for all we know, she's a manipulative she-devil with a bomb fetish in angel's clothing, whom Red Falcon forgot to keep locked away behind the gates of the underworld by accident one day. But believe me, she had it coming for trying to hurt you by impersonating your mom just to make us cave in."

"So she's more of an anti-you kind of person?" asked 9-Volt.

Phosphora sighed painfully. "In a sense, she is. To be honest with you, Sirens and succubi alike give women a bad name, what with their ways of luring men and young boys to their doom by playing on their desires in the most malicious way imaginable, all the while pretending to be innocent to catch them off guard...blech! If she so much as tries to trick my sweet Pit by impersonating me, I'd kick her sorry butt too."

She paused for moment to crack a big smile, gesturing patiently for 9-Volt to do the same. When he did so, the young woman spent the next few minutes rocking him back and forth gently. "All in all, I won't let her or any other of Red Falcon's cronies near you as long as I'm around to protect you. Don't forget your other guardian angels like Pit and Yuffie and Keyla the Vampire Princess; heck, even Mona. That goes double for our six friends: Aaron, Ami, Bill, Lance, Blaze and Arctic - the latter of whom reformed herself, thank goodness - of the Contras. Your mom's also here for you, and so's Phoebe, Cheerful White and Cute Pink. To top it all, if evil tries to harm you both physically and mentally, they'll have to get through all of us to do it. More importantly, don't listen to their blatant lies and deceit, but instead learn the truth and get the facts to know the differences between right and wrong. Trust me on this: if they also so much as attempt to recreate Red Falcon's reign of terror, let alone resurrect him and his Hate Bombers from the dead, if not Purple Basilisk's Chaotic Bombers too, we'll be ready for them because we're all in this together. And by defeating him for good, we undid Crasher and Blaster's death spell and brought you back to life in your own body. You see, Pit and I spar with each other from time to time to keep our powers and fighting skills intact, even if Palutena says I'm bad for him. But, you and your friends know I'm a good person because it's true. What I'm saying is, we won't let anything bad happen to you, because we love you. I love you in a way that I'm your big sister just like Mona is, and perhaps Yuffie as well."

The Lightning Flash of Skyworld finished up by planting a motherly kiss - or rather sisterly kiss, in her case - on his forehead, and doing the same for both his cheeks. "Here, this'll cure you of any nightmares that've been filling your head for three days straight. I have complete control over electricity, so that includes light as well."

While holding 9-Volt with her left hand so he'd be snuggled up into her chest, Phosphora lit up her right hand with a harmless mixture of electricity and light. Being one with nature and all that is pure (unlike that spoiled brat of a goddess she used to work for until Pit set her free), her powers never harmed her friends nor the innocent. Then she stroked his head affectionately, the electrical light crawling into his mind and wiping away the bad thoughts in any shape, size or form. Afterwards, she generated a ball lightning the size of a beach ball and concentrated on her energy to make it warm, soft and bouncy enough to keep it from exploding on contact like it normally would. Afterwards, she set it on the floor next to the bed to use as a nightlight, keeping it still so it didn't roll around. "There, that's better. Shhh...I'll stay with you the whole night if I need to." Then the lightning girl closed her eyes to sing a short lullaby to help 9-Volt sleep peacefully once again after three straight nights full of nightmares, her sweet melodious voice slowly but surely entrancing him in a benevolent manner.

And if that mockingbird don't singPhosphora's gonna make you a ball lightning

And if that ball don't bounce or stay litPhosphora's gonna light another that bounces like it should

And if another ball bursts or fizzles outPhosphora's gonna take you bowling without a doubt

And if that bowling ball don't knock the pins downYou'll still be the sweetest little friend in town

[Ending BGM: Continue (Kirby's Return to Dream Land)]

Now that the song did its work by lulling 9-Volt back into a peaceful slumber, Phosphora set him back in his bed, and laid herself down next to him as she covered both herself and the boy with the blanket and comforter. "Good night, 9-Volt. Sweet dreams."

"I love you, Phosphora." He closed his eyes with a yawn, and a grateful smile on his face.

5-Volt, Mona and Pit were glad to see 9-Volt snuggled up in bed next to his guardian angel, imagining them dreaming about playing video games, planting trees in Diamond City, bowling in Skyworld, and Phosphora protecting him. In time the Lightning Flash would craft something very special for the little boy and teach him how to use it, along with a cloud whistle for calling her in case of trouble. She would even add a little magic of her own to these useful gifts so that only the pure of heart can touch them, while the bad guys would get zapped really good. Whenever called upon, she would either protect him as normal or give him a hand by doubling their shared element of lightning together to smite evil, or both. But for now, a good night's sleep was all that was needed after everything the heroes of Diamond City and Earth had been through in an effort to ultimately defeat the evil forces of Red Falcon.

[A/N: Touching, isn't it? Despite all that, I hope you liked it nonetheless, because I don't ever want a good little kid like 9-Volt to die. Or even his friends and family for that matter. Then again, I intended for it to have one of his guardian angels, preferably Phosphora, comforting him after a traumatic nightmare. Furthermore, her version of the public domain Hush, Little Baby lullaby makes a small reference to a child's belief that the sounds of thunder and lightning are the heavenly angels bowling. But beyond that, feel free to leave a review to your heart's content.

One last detail: while Keyla (Vampire/Bowling Princess of Roseland) is mentioned briefly, Patricia (the Mistress of Bouncing Balls) isn't, thus clarifying that this short fic takes place before 9-Volt and Keyla met and turned around the Lower Birth. BTW, both the Lower Birth cast and the little vampire are owned by my online friend, HedgehogSailorSun (aka. Sam; JapanAnimeGirl).]